Amtrak Issues 1st Online Only System Timetable

Amtrak issued a new system timetable on Sept. 9 and for the first time in the company’s history it is available only online.

The timetable shows no changes in scheduled times for long-distance and corridor trains that serve the Midwest.

Although the timetable shows through cars between Chicago and Boston for the Lake Shore Limited, a check of Amtrak’s website found that passengers still must change trains at Albany-Rensselaer, New York.

However, through cars between Chicago and Boston are shown in the system as being effective Oct. 24.

The typography of the timetable is slightly different from the last system timetable, which was issued on Jan. 11, 2016.

Also missing from the latest timetable is the letter from Amtrak’s president. It has been replaced with a letter from D.J. Stadler, Amtrak’s executive vice president and chief operations officer.

Previous Amtrak President Joseph Boardman retired on Sept. 1 and was replaced by Charles “Wick” Moorman, whose appointment had apparently not been finalized when the timetable production work was completed.

The cover features an image of the westbound California Zephyr passing colorful fall foliage near Grandby, Colorado. The image was made by Amtrak trainmaster Steve Ostrowski.